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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23452762">The Great Sisika Escape</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nigaki/pseuds/Nigaki'>Nigaki</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Wild and Soft [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Red Dead Redemption (Video Games)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alpha Arthur Morgan, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Angst with a Happy Ending, Arthur and John are both Jack's parents, Chapter 6: Beaver Hollow (Red Dead Redemption 2), Cuddling &amp; Snuggling, Established Relationship, Fluff, Kissing, M/M, Mentions of non-con, Mpreg, Omega John Marston, Parenthood, Sexism, but nothing happens, kind of, mentions of misccariage, some blood, tuberculosis?, what a funny name for a fake disease</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 14:35:13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>9,433</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23452762</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nigaki/pseuds/Nigaki</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>John is in Sisika working and waiting for his execution when he finds about something that in any other time would make him happy but now only fills him with dread and sorrow.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>John Marston/Arthur Morgan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Wild and Soft [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1687138</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>93</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Great Sisika Escape</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Couldn't resist myself, I have so many stories of these two boys.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It isn’t the best day for hard work but the guards doesn’t care. So what if one of the prisoners die early? At least they won’t have to prepare the gallows.</p><p>Ever since morning the sun is burning without mercy, like it’s actually motivated to kill them. It’s a middle of the summer, but John wasn’t expecting such heat so far from the west. He’s used to it, but no one ever told him to work in a weather like that. When the gang was moving through the west, they usually waited for the heat like that to pass and robbed people and places in the evening.</p><p>Guards in Sisika have other work schedules. It’s not surprising, it’s harder to keep an eye on people at night, so they’re always forcing prisoners to work right before noon, when the sun is going higher and blazing harder with each passing minute. Few second out in the open and prisoners bodies are covered in sweat. It isn’t any better in the cell but at least they can lay down not doing anything. Outside the walls of the prison they can’t do the same.</p><p>It’s hot for the guards too, in their uniforms it must be harder for them than for prisoners, that’s why they are standing in the distance, hiding in the shade but still watching prisoners every move. John can feel the gaze of one of them all the time on himself during breaking the stones outside. Why break stones? He has no idea. He suspects they just want to overwork them to death.</p><p>Beside him there is seven more prisoners working. Every one of them is a murderer. And an alpha. He is the only omega in the prison, which unfortunately brings attention. Not from the other convicts, after the whole day of work the last thing on their mind is to bother anyone here. But the guards are the different story. Already on the first day he got a proposition he “just can’t say no to,” as his admirer had put it.</p><p>“I could assign you to lighter work if you do something for me,” the alpha said when he was escorting John to his cell where the omega was supposed to spend next few days, maybe weeks. He had no idea when they’re going to hang him.</p><p>“Is that so?” John asked, knowing exactly where this is going. He heard propositions like that many times in the past. “What would I have to do?”</p><p>The guard got closer, almost plastering himself to John’s body, taking advantage of the fact that the omega had chained legs and hands and couldn’t stop him. He felt sick, the unpleasant feeling swirled in his stomach, especially when the alpha started sniffing around Arthur’s mating bite. In the last second John held the growl he almost let out.</p><p>“You won’t get back to your alpha,” the guard said. “If you spread your legs for me, your life will be a little bit easier before they hang you.”</p><p>Maybe if he was unfaithful coward, he would agree.</p><p>John clicked with his tongue at the guard to make the alpha leave the mark and rise his head, which he did fast. Naïve fool. John smiled at him seductively and when the alpha smiled back, John headbutted him quickly and hard, right in the nose.</p><p>The guard howled with pain, grasping his bleeding nose. John didn’t try to run, that wasn’t his intention so he just stood there and watched the man cursing and trying to stop the bleeding until the pain subdued. When the alpha got up, he growled at John and John growled back even louder, grinning with satisfaction after seeing the guard’s bloodied and furious face. John got hit then.</p><p>He couldn’t keep his balance and fell down, getting kicked as well when he landed on the floor. He groaned with pain and coughed out of breath for a moment, but he smiled once again not long after. It was all worth it.</p><p>“Stupid whore,” the guard growled at him one more time before he lifted John up and put him in the cell. “Now you’ll work for three.”</p><p>His hands were released before he was left alone on his first night in Sisika.</p><p>That was three weeks ago and just like the guard said, he’s constantly getting the worst work to do compared to the other convicts. He’s always given the worst pickax or shovel, his breaks are short, they’re doing everything to make his life here miserable. Apparently the guard he refused is the nephew of the big boss himself.</p><p>He didn’t regret his actions anyway, even if he has to work harder. He won’t let them break him.</p><p>It’s the end of the work for today, the sun is setting but it’s still cooking them alive while doing so. The prisoners are after two breaks for couple of sips of the water and something small to eat, now they can be escorted back to cells, only to order them to work again the next day. John is hoping for the colder day tomorrow.</p><p>Guards take prisoners pickaxes, give them the last cups with water for today and chains all of them together. Some of the prisoners can hardly stand, John too, unfortunately, and to make it worst, they can’t walk properly with chained ankles. It’s not uncommon for one of them to fall during returning to the prison.</p><p>He is walking at the end, trying to keep up with the man who, according to rumors, ended in Sisika for hunting sheriffs. John has no idea if it’s at least partially true, but he suspects most of the stories are fake. The Sheriffs Hunter, as they call him there, is of course an alpha and was lucky to get longer breaks than John, thanks to the curtsey of the familiar guard. He isn’t working here for three weeks already like John either, he isn’t as tired, didn’t lose so much weight yet and can walk faster.</p><p>It’s hard to keep up, but John has no intention to fall down and give those bastards guards any satisfaction. Especially one of them. The nephew smiles when they’re passing him.</p><p>“My offer still stands, omega”, he says to John when they wait for the gate to be opened. </p><p>John looks at the man, wondering if he can bit off his crooked nose or one of his ears before other guards pull him away. In the end, he just spits at the man who almost immediately slaps his face. </p><p>His lack of whimper or gasping must be disappointing for the guard. John just laughs at him.</p><p>“You hit worse than omega,” he mocks and smirks at the man.</p><p>This time he’s hit with a fist. John loses his balance but instead of the ground, he collides with The Sheriffs Hunter. If he had fell, he would most likely drag someone else with him and ended up kicked by the guard. He’s glad he didn’t fall.  </p><p>They open the gates finally and the prisoner are being led inside to their cells. John is pushed inside by his admirer. Before the alpha walks away, John laughs mockingly at him one last time. The man’s growl is echoing in the corridors for a few more seconds after he’s gone.</p><p>John sighed deeply, allowing himself to relax. It’s hard to do that in prison but he at least need to try. After spending the whole day in the sun, John’s head is pounding so hard he wants to vomit. Maybe that’s what he should‘ve done to the guard, vomit all over him instead of just spiting.</p><p>The dizziness weakens slightly when he lays down on the cold bunk bed that brings some relief to his warm body. The night is going to be just as hot like the day. He always thought it’s colder near water but apparently Sisika is different.</p><p>He sighs again and looks at one of the walls where he carves how many days passed since his imprisonment. During the first week he was sure he won’t be here for the second. Instead he started the fourth week already. It was exactly twenty one days since he got here and no one broke him out yet. He knows there’s a slim chance, that trying would be a suicide mission, but it wouldn’t be the most crazy thing their gang ever did. What’s one more?</p><p>He hopes every day when he wakes up in his cell before another day of work, that it’s the last time here. Twenty days of wishful thinking. He would try to escape by himself if he could only swim or the prison weren’t on the island.</p><p>John isn’t counting on Dutch, but on Arthur who didn’t show up so far, or give any sign of living for that matter. He won’t be surprised if it turns out no one except him survived the robbery. The bond he and Arthur share theoretically can’t tell him if his mate is still alive, but John is sure he would feel something. It’s a gut feeling, he refuses believing in anything else.</p><p>Ever since he was captured, he didn’t feel anything strange with the bond, Arthur must be alive then. Why didn’t he save him yet? He understands that Dutch won’t do it since he left John during robbery in the first place, but Arthur? Even common sense wouldn’t stop him from busting John out of the prison. </p><p>But something else might, being in prison as well. It’s possible and that means John will never see his mate again. He made peace with that thought already, a week ago or so. Or so he thinks. Arthur would had already tried to save him if he is free, be that with plan or not. If he didn’t do anything yet, he must’ve been arrested. Or killed and John overestimated their bond.</p><p>He touches the mating mark on his neck, as if it’s going to tell him where Arthur is, but apart from the scars left by the teeth and characteristic tingling of the sensitive place, he doesn’t feel anything.</p><p>What's holding Arthur so long if not imprisonment? John doesn’t see any other explanation for Arthur’s lack of actions. That’s why with each passing day he expects less. Maybe falling asleep will be less painful if there won’t be anything to be disappointed over next morning.</p><p>He misses his mate. So much. If he has to die, if there is no saving, he at least wants to see Arthur one last time before they’re both hanged. Maybe even kiss him. He wants to see Jack as well. Hug him, tell him he loves him and to be brave.</p><p>He hates the thought of not being able to see his son growing up. That he won’t teach him everything he should, that he won’t be with him in so many important moments in his life. Who will protect him now? Who will take care of him when they’re both gone?</p><p>John covers his face with his hands, barely keeping the tears at bay. It’s getting harder and harder not to cry. Every night he thinks of his family, that he’ll never see them again, not Arthur, not Jack. It hurts. Hurts so much he sometimes curl around himself, wanting nothing more but to hang himself on his own chain.</p><p>He calms down eventually, but before it happens he feels hot again because of all this need to cry and holding it inside. He gets rid of the top of his striped shirt and toss it to the corner before laying down again. Much better. Maybe not emotionally, but at least it’s not as hot as before, he’s still sweating though. He could use a bath or just a simple bucket of water he could pour over himself. Anything to clean up a little.</p><p>He’s not even going to ask for that, unless he’s really planning to spread his legs for his favorite guard. John isn’t that desperate, he can be filthy, he’s used to that, it’s guards problem not his if they want to smell his odor.</p><p>He shifts to lay comfortably on his back, intertwining his fingers and placing both palms on his belly. He’s ready to leave another disappointing day behind him and after uneasy sleep wake up again, hoping that this time the rescue will come. In the end, he never can’t stop himself from hoping.</p><p>Tired, he closes his eyes, listening to other prisoners snoring. He tries to fall asleep, caressing his stomach that is rumbling from hunger. Stomach that’s strangely sticking out, too much for a prisoner who is hungry all the time.</p><p>The cold goes down his spine while hands hovers above the belly, too afraid to touch it again. With eyes wide open, John stares at the ceiling, trying to push back the explanation of his state that immediately comes to his mind.</p><p>“No, no, no,” he whispers franticly and looks at his stomach. It should be flat like it always is, even sunken due to lack of food and the hard work they do almost every day.</p><p>But it’s not. It’s sticking out, just slightly but it’s visible, especially when he’s laying down. The whole shape is small enough for him to cup it in his hands and slowly, he does just that, almost afraid to touch it.</p><p>He carefully touch the small bump everywhere, examining the familiar shape he knows so well he would recognize it anywhere.</p><p>“No.” John chokes on his own tears. It must be a dream, it must be! “Why now?”</p><p>He would be happy in other circumstances. He and Arthur never talked about another child, but they always knew that in the right time, they would gladly give Jack a little sister or brother.</p><p>But it’s not the best time to be pregnant. They’re going to hang him, for god’s sake, there is no chance he will carry this child till it’s ready to be born. He’s surprised he even has any child in him. The last time he and Arthur made proper love was in Blackwater, during third fertility period, one month before the heat. And before everything went to hell. </p><p>John has no idea how he can be pregnant, the peak of his infertility passed when he was twenty five, and the tea to prevent the pregnancy should’ve worked as well, after the last sex he was drinking it… for one day. He completely forgot he has a pregnancy to stop. It left his mind when he was lying in bed with fever, healing from the meeting with the wolves. Arthur didn’t think about it either.</p><p>He touches the stomach again to make sure it’s not a dream but the bump is real. Smaller than it should be, but during circumstances it’s growing, without enough food and because of the hard work John did, it couldn’t be bigger. But it’s still here. He’s pregnant.</p><p>And they’re going to hang him. </p><p>Even if he tell the guards now, they won’t care. He is actually afraid they would try to make him miscarriage. Everyone hates him here, they want him to give them his body for favors but they never got anything, why would they care now that he’s pregnant when it ain’t none of them that breed him? They would only try to kill his child to get back at him for every rejection. Maybe not everyone, surely someone have a heart in here, but this bastard nephew would try for sure. And even if not, they could use the pregnancy to make him do anything they wanted. He would never risk the baby’s life, he would do anything to prevent it.</p><p>They can’t know.</p><p>John quickly puts the shirt back on and covers his stomach, hugging the bump with his arms for good measure, despite it not being in any danger right now. When he touches it, he can’t believe how he could’ve missed it even before he got stuck here. On the other hand, the bump is smaller than when he was pregnant with Jack, it probably wasn’t even visible earlier and he wasn’t expecting to find one too, wasn’t waiting for it like the first time.</p><p>The other symptoms he should’ve noticed sooner, but when he thinks of it now, nothing in this pregnancy was the same like the first. He didn’t vomit at all, he felt nauseous many times but he though it’s stress caused by Arthur’s kidnapping, then Jack’s kidnapping as well. He had the same excuses for tiredness he experienced regularly during past few weeks.</p><p>He should’ve noticed. It’s not his first pregnancy, it should’ve been easy to notice. Especially when his heat never came. John and Arthur didn’t even notice something is wrong despite always calculating when the next heat will start so they could get ready beforehand and get away from the gang for a day, or to prevent the heat from surprising John during doing errands for Dutch and to spare him walking around folks like that.</p><p>So many thing happened in the gang recently they just forgot. Just like that. The fact that Arthur forgot was understandable, but how could John miss his own heat? Fertility periods he can understand, they aren’t as noticeable, but the goddamn heat with its whole day of temperature jump, constant flow of slick and of being just horny? How could he not notice the pregnancy? What if he didn’t found out today? He’d only notice right before birth, when the concretion would start? It’s so obvious now that he knows and goes back to the last few weeks. Even other gang member should’ve notice, especially the one that were present during first pregnancy.</p><p>“Oh god.” The tears are running now and he can’t stop them. He needs to bite his own fingers to muffle the cries, to make sure nobody hears him. He can’t be pregnant. He don’t want to be, not now when he’ll never get to the end of it and the baby will die with him on the noose. “I’m sorry, little one. I’m so sorry.”    </p><p>He already loves this child and he won’t even have an opportunity to meet him or her. They’ll die together, the baby will pay for it’s father’s sins.</p><p>If he only knew earlier, he’d have never took part in that robbery. Arthur would never let him, Dutch as well. John himself would plead his mate to not go, to stay with him. Dutch would understood, he wouldn’t separate them in a moment like this. They’d be safe in the camp right now, happy about becoming parents again.</p><p>Jack would be happy too. He begged them for a brother or sister since he was three. He would be so impatient right now. He would if John only noticed earlier.</p><p>John wants to have this baby, but he’s not even hoping for it. If they won’t hang him soon, they will eventually notice they have a pregnant omega in the prison. Lack of food won’t protect him forever, in fact, it won’t even be on his side when the bump will start growing.</p><p>The thought of death is even scarier now when he knows he won’t be the only one to die, that he will take another life with him, life that doesn’t even deserve this. This boy or a girl deserve to be born, to be loved, to grow up by their parents and older brother’s side. To live in a safe place, far away from the outlaw’s life. That’s what they always wanted for the second child, that’s why they waited despite not getting any younger or the chance of John dying during pregnancy or losing it early growing bigger with each passing year.</p><p>It doesn’t matter now anyway.</p><p>Arthur would be happy. John could imagine his smile when he’d tell him. He’d be so thrilled. The alpha would become annoying like during first pregnancy, a little bit too overprotective, but later, when he’d take their baby in his arms, John wouldn’t be able to took his eyes of him again. Of his soft smile and teary eyes that would look at their newborn with love and awe. Then he’d look at John with the same eyes, thanking him for another child.</p><p>John cries even harder after that. He curls up on his side, protecting the bump and the baby inside till he still can. He can’t stop touching his belly even if it’s only reminds him what he’s going to lose soon. What Arthur will lose if he is even alive.</p><p>“I’m sorry, Arthur,” he sobs into his own hand. “I’m so sorry.”</p><p>John hopes Arthur will never find out about the pregnancy. He will suffer enough after losing his mate, he doesn’t need to know about the loose of his child too.</p><p>He cries so much he finally falls asleep, with his hands on the bump, holding it safe even when he turns to the other side during sleeping.</p><p>He’s woken up by a guard like usual. The guard gives him food and leaves him alone. If John is eating is his cell, that means he won’t work today. Yesterday it wouldn’t have mattered but today he’s glad for a day of rest. A work like that is not safe for the baby. He should’ve miscarriage a long time ago, even before the prison. He worries for a moment he’s carrying a dead baby inside him, but now he knows he’s pregnant, he can feel typical shifts inside his body that can’t mean anything else.</p><p>Somehow the baby in his womb is still alive. Ever since conception it survived everything John got himself into and it’s going to continue to survive. It moves inside him gently, very weak, weaker than Jack at the same point of pregnancy, but it’s alive and that’s all that matters.</p><p>With a smile, John caresses the bump while he eats not a very good breakfast. He eats the whole thing anyway, for the baby. They won’t survive but he will take care of this baby like he would normally do. John won’t let the oncoming death to ruin this wonderful gift he can experience again, even if for a short moment. </p><p>The guard returns after an hour to take the empty bowl from him. John makes sure he’s not touching his stomach until the alpha walks away. He doesn’t react to mocking, not wanting to risk beating. He’s regretting any other time he provoked the guards himself. In every one of this moment, and without even realizing it, he was risking the baby’s life.</p><p>Just like he expected, they don’t take him to work. He takes the opportunity to rest and wait for another movement inside him. He can feel them almost all the time, how could he not notice before? Those aren’t kicks, just gentle moves, like bubbles swirling inside him. Someone pregnant for the first time would not take is as baby’s movement. John knew what to look for and he still didn’t notice on time. </p><p>“You surprised me a lot,” he whispers tenderly to the baby, circling the bump with his finger. “Your daddy would’ve liked a surprise like that.”</p><p>He spends the whole morning just lying on the bunk. He tries to forget just for a moment where he is and pretends he’s with Arthur and Jack instead, far away from prison, from the whole state, safe inside their own house. It works, he can almost sense his mate’s presence and sinks deeper into the fantasy when he’s suddenly ripped from it.</p><p>“Get up!”</p><p>The guard barely gives him any time to stand up, he storms into the cell, lifts John up and drags him out of the cell, not even chaining his hands. John has no idea what’s going on. He fights with his own instincts telling him to cover the bump while he’s led to the exit.</p><p>Did they found out? Are they going to kill him already? Or just the baby?</p><p>John watches the other guards they’re passing but they’re not even looking back at him. Everyone is clearly worried about something and whatever that is, it isn’t his pregnancy.</p><p>John and the guard finally reaches the yard and moves towards the main gates. John almost cries with relief when he sees Sadie and Arthur waiting for him at the other side, holding one of the guards hostage.</p><p>His and Arthur’s gazes meets for a single moment. Despite being in chains, John wants to run to him, hug him, kiss him, tell him he loves him but most importantly, tell him he’s with child.  </p><p>He needs to wait, because when he’s finally free, all the hell goes loose and the priority is to get away from the island alive. Sharing a good news that at any moment can turn into a bad news, if not tragedy, can wait for now.</p><p>The guards are determined to kill them but the three of them manages to get to the boat that helped Arthur and Sadie reach the island. It’s hard to believe they came for him. That Arthur is alive! It’s so unreal that even bullets flying by his head seems to be just a part of some imagination.</p><p>When they’re far enough to not worry about being shot, Arthur hugs him. John wants to tell him to not do it so tight, that he needs to watch out for the bump, but he’s so happy to see his mate John only slightly moves his body into less comfortable position but safer for the baby, and returns the embrace, purring so loud he can’t even hear his own thoughts.</p><p>It doesn’t matter, the only thing he can think of is Arthur anyway. Arthur who came for him, who saved him. Him and the baby. Everything will be alright now.</p><p>Ride to the camp seems like a dream, even though the feel of Arthur’s body in front of him and his smell are telling John it’s not a dream, it’s a reality. </p><p>Dutch is not happy when they get back. Arthur and Sadie rescued John behind his back and he’s angry at the two alphas for that. He’s angry at John for his lack of faith in him and his plan to rescue the omega as well, but John doesn’t care about his cold welcoming or his anger, not when Jack is running towards him and then clings to him so hard even horses wouldn’t be able to pull him away. Not that John wants to let go of him. He hugs his son so long he’s sure he’s going to suffocate him, so he lessens his embrace and lifts Jack into his arms, not even thinking about letting him go, not now at least. He’s still holding the boy even when he’s given something to eat. John is so happy he forgot about the hunger that weakens only after eating two full bowls of stew.</p><p>Arthur prepares him some water to wash. It’s not a bath but it’s enough for now and John is a little bit cleaner, he doesn’t stinks anymore. His mate is not with him in the tent when he cleans up, he’s taking care of Jack so their boy can’t disturb John. He uses this opportunity to look at his belly again. The bump is visible while he stands, not so much under clothes but it’s only a matter of a week or two before it’ll be visible for everyone, especially now when he will start eating regularly when his appetite increase.</p><p>“We’re going to be okay, little one,” he says to the child, petting the bump softly. “Your daddy came for us.”</p><p>As he always does. John shouldn’t have doubted him, Arthur would never leave him, even if he was in prison himself, he would just escape as quickly as he could to get to John. He knows now why it took the alpha so long and just as John expected, it wasn’t Arthur’s fault. He couldn’t get back from some island near Cuba so simply.</p><p>It sounds unbelievable but apparently Arthur and other boys had some tropical adventure.</p><p>John is dressing up when Arthur enters the tent. John is glad his mate didn’t notice the bump, he wants to tell him about it, not show it.</p><p>“Abigail is taking care of Jack,” Arthur says to him, knowing it will be the first thing John will ask him. “I want you just for myself.”</p><p>“It’s not very nice to keep a father from a child that missed him,” John notice, watching Arthur coming closer to him.</p><p>“The child is not the only one who missed you,” the alpha explains and wraps his arms around John’s waist, bringing him closer in the process. “I missed you too.”</p><p>“Likewise,” John whispers back before kissing him, hungry for closeness after weeks of separation and not even knowing what happened to both of them.</p><p>The kiss is full of desperation, it couldn’t be any other way, they haven’t seen each other for so long. It’s slowly replaced by tenderness and love they feel for each other and which causes John’s heart to very quickly start beating like crazy and filling his chest with so much happiness he can hardly breath.</p><p>Or maybe it’s the fault of a very long kiss.</p><p>They stops hesitantly, only because they need to breath. Their foreheads are touching when they pant into each other’s mouths, still hugging. Both of them don’t want to let go so they don’t.</p><p>“You have no idea how much I missed you,” Arthurs breaths out. They open their eyes at the same moment.</p><p>“I think I have,” John responds and with a smile, he places a short kiss on his mate’s lips. It’s brief, but as loving as the previous one.</p><p>“You okay?” John expected this question sooner or later. “They didn’t hurt you in that prison?”</p><p>“I wasn’t in any danger from other prisoners, and the guards didn’t beat me that much, not on their own.” He’s not surprised by a loud growl that comes from Arthur. “One of them wanted me to sleep with him for favors.”</p><p>Arthur’s hold on him becomes tighter, and the alpha growls again. John shivers in respond to his mate’s possessiveness.</p><p>“I broke his nose the first time,” John says proudly. Arthur immediately starts purring pleased. He lowers his head and nudges the mating bite with his nose before nipping at it with teeth. John almost asks him to bite him properly there, to make the mark fresh, but it’s not the time or place for something like that. “I refused him every time.”</p><p>“Good,” Arthur just says, still playing with the mark. “You’re mine.”</p><p>“Mmm,” John murmurs back. He grips his mate’s hair and tilts his head to the side to get to his own mark. Usually alphas don’t allow their omegas to mark them, but Arthur is different. He happily offered his neck for the bite and often shows it around proudly. “And you’re mine.”</p><p>“Always,” Arthur promises and pulls John to another kiss. If they weren’t in the camp right now where everyone can hear them, the kiss would quickly turn into something more passionate. Unfortunately, they have to ignore their lust for now. “I’m glad you’re okay.”</p><p>“Same with you,” John admits with relief in his voice. “I was worried they caught you.”</p><p>“In a way,” he jokes and looks John into eyes. “I was sure that after return from Guarma I will find out you were killed.”</p><p>“They sure were close to killing me.” He has no idea how much time he had had left in prison before execution but they held him there for a while. He couldn’t have had much time left if Sadie and Arthur didn’t come for him. “Let’s not rob any more banks.”</p><p>“Don’t worry, Dutch switched to trains now,” Arthur revealed to him. “He wants to make the army angry and rob them.”</p><p>“So he wants to commit suicide.” Arthur snorts and nods. “He went crazy.”</p><p>“That’s why we’re running away,” his mate reminds him. “We take Jack and run.”</p><p>John will never get tired of hearing about this plan. Especially now when they have another reason to leave the gang.</p><p>“I found about something when I was in the prison.” It’s the best moment to share the news. He’s nervous, it’s the first time he’s going to say something like that. Last time they found out together from the doctor. He knows Arthur will be happy but he can’t help the small feeling telling him that maybe he’s wrong about his mate’s desire for another child.</p><p>“One of the other prisoners told you where he hid the robbed goods?” Arthur tries to guess.</p><p>“That would be a good news, but the one I have are even better.” John can’t stop himself from smiling, he’s excited and Arthur can surely feel how he’s trembling because of it. He probably hear his fast beating heart as well. John doesn’t think his alpha suspects anything, he’s confused but not worried and he smiles back at John who hopes that the words he’s going to say in just a moment will make Arthur’s smile even bigger. “I’m… I’m pregnant.”</p><p>John holds his breath and the whole world stills, stuck in time. Only the two of them are still moving, but it seems slow. That’s how he sees Arthur’s face when shock slowly appears on it. His eyes grows bigger, the skin becomes paler and the alpha can’t say a word despite opening and closing his mouth. It looks almost scary, as if Arthur is going to get angry in any moment, but John is calm because his mate’s touch is still gentle. Arthur is not angry, he’s just surprised as expected, he’ll sooner pass out than get angry. The pregnancy still seems so unreal but it is very real. Even now he can feel the movement inside him, a ticklish feeling in the lower parts of the bump.</p><p>“How…” he stammers eventually, shifting his eyes from John’s face to his belly. The lower part of the shirt isn’t buttoned completely yet, John opens it more and shows the bump. Even someone not knowing how the pregnancy looks wouldn’t take it as an overweight, especially combined with the rest of John’s body that is so thin right now it’s possible to see the lower ribs. “How is that possible?”</p><p>John chuckles. “I don’t have to explain to you how babies are made, do I?” he jokes to get rid of the tense atmosphere. He isn’t as nervous as he could be, but he is a little bit stressed, even knowing that Arthur will be overjoyed in just a moment.</p><p>“The last time was…”</p><p>“In Blackwater,” John finishes for him. Shocked, Arthur looks at him again. “That’s when it happened.”</p><p>“But… You were hurt. You got shot,” Arthur reminds him, still having hard time believing in the news. “And then the wolves, the whole escape. You were dying in that mountains, for weeks you were robbing with us, you worked around the camp, and now the prison. You should’ve miscarriage a long time ago.”</p><p>“But I didn’t.” Arthur didn’t think about touching the bump yet, so John takes his hand and places it on his stomach. Arthur’s palm is shaking, looking like he’s going to take it back at any moment, but when John lets go of his wrist, Arthur just caresses the bump, watching it with wonder.</p><p>“You’re pregnant,” he repeats John’s words. He still sounds like he doesn’t believes it, but the shock is gone from his face. John’s heart starts to beat faster when the alpha smiles widely and then looks at him with tears in his eyes. “You’re pregnant.”</p><p>John laughs and nods. Before he can even stop moving his head, he finds himself in his mate’s embrace. It’s more gentle and careful than the one on the boat, Arthur still hold his palm on the bump, making sure it’s not being squeezed between them while he cries in John’s arm.</p><p>John holds him close, stroke his hair and purrs happily. Just yesterday he was sure he’s going to die and the baby will die with him. Now he and Arthur are together again, they still have a chance.</p><p>The circumstances still aren’t perfect. The situation in the gang is tense, every day they’re in mortal danger, he can still lose the child, but he’s not going to let the uncertain times to stop him from being happy. It doesn’t matter what will happen in the future, right now they’re happy and they’re not going to think what can go wrong.</p><p>“I remember how scared we were the first time,” Arthur says with a trembling voice full of emotions. He’s not crying anymore, but John still holds him tighter and purrs louder to help the alpha calm down. “I thought Dutch will kill me and you will be thrown out of the gang.”</p><p>They weren’t planning to get John pregnant then, they just underestimated his fertility that apparently reached its peak when he was twenty one. That’s what the doctor told them. For a week they stayed away from the gang, wondering if they should even go back or rather not expect the forgiveness, run and never look back.</p><p>They returned eventually but they kept the pregnancy a secret for few more days until Hosea noticed their strange behavior and figured everything out, promising them everything will be alright. Then Susan found out. They told Dutch finally so she couldn’t do it. He wasn’t happy with the news. He was angry in the first place when they mated couple of years earlier, and then they were telling him they’re going to have a baby which only would further undermine their loyalty to him and keep the gang grounded for a while. To this day they wonder sometimes why Dutch didn’t kick them out back then.</p><p>Eventually, Dutch stopped being angry and like the rest of the gang members, he actually became happy and excited for the arrival of the new member of their small family.  </p><p>Today, John isn’t as scared like he was before, but once again he’s worried about Dutch reaction. The gang is crumbling, the problems are pilling and no one would be happy with another pregnancy, especially Dutch. He will be furious if he finds out, a pregnant omega can get in the way of his plans, lowering the chance of successful escape.</p><p>He doesn’t tell Arthur this, but John decides in that moment than no one in the gang can know about the pregnancy if they don’t want to risk the baby’s life.</p><p>“We weren’t ready.” During pregnancy he got used to the idea of being a father but at the beginning? He was scared so much with the birth alone, which he knew it was going to be the hardest part. He wasn’t wrong, the worst few hours of his life and without Arthur by his side to make the matter worse. It was worth it in the end, even if he didn’t want to have anything to do with the child when Mary-Beth handed it to him, he just wanted to sleep in that moment. When he finally looked at Jack, he fell in love even harder than he already was.  </p><p>“The times were better than now.” With track of tears on his face, Arthur moves away slowly to look at the bump again. “Blackwater you say?”</p><p>“I’m sure of it.”</p><p>He would be much bigger if the conception had happened before their stay near Blackwater.</p><p>“So you’re around fourth month, going into fifth,” Arthur calculates quickly. “The bump was slightly bigger when you were carrying Jack.”</p><p>“I ate regularly back then and apart from scout mission and looking for opportunities for the rest of you to rob, I stopped working the moment we found out.” John puts his hand on Arthur’s palm. His mate looks at him, tears still in his eyes and the blissful smile still present on his face.</p><p>“I still can’t believe this,” Arthur admits and laughs. “So many thing should’ve gone wrong, I heard of pregnancies ending with miscarriage after less than what you went through.”</p><p>John heard about it too. A simple fall to the ground can end with miscarriage, or too much stress. Sometimes omegas just lose their children for no reason and here he is, after four months of being shot at, being beaten, working hard, not eating for days, living under so much stress and yet the child in him is still with them.</p><p>“He’s strong just like his fathers,” he states pets the bump.</p><p>“He?” Arthur asks surprised. “You have a feeling again?”</p><p>“It’s going to be a boy.”</p><p>He’s sure of it, just like he was sure with Jack.</p><p>“A girl,” Arthur insists. “This time I’m right.”</p><p>“I got it right last time.”</p><p>Arthur chuckles. “There wasn’t that many options for you to choose.”</p><p>John rolls his eyes and gives up. He won’t convince Arthur till the alpha can see with his own eyes he’s going to have another son. The first time it didn’t really matter for Arthur if the baby was a girl or a boy, though he hoped for the girl. This time he probably wants her even more now that he has a boy. John would like to have a girl as well but they will have to wait for the third pregnancy for this because this one will end with a birth of another boy.</p><p>“It’s so unbelievable,” Arthur says again. “Say it again.”</p><p>Now it’s John’s turn to chuckle. “I’m pregnant,” he repeats and Arthur is once again smiling so widely it should hurt.</p><p>“Shit,” it slips from Arthur before he hugs John once more, with one of his hands still on the bump. “I can’t believe we didn’t notice earlier. You didn’t go into heat, it should happen around now.”</p><p>“It’s been hard couple of months.”</p><p>Sometimes he’s not even sure what day of the week it is, no wonder he didn’t pay attention to his heat or fertility periods when he was fighting for his life most of the time.</p><p>“How long do you know?” Arthur asks, giving John some space, but only to lead them both to the bed they lay down on before getting back to cuddling immediately, their joined hand resting on John’s stomach again.</p><p>“Since yesterday evening. I noticed the bump and everything made sense.”</p><p>“That’s why you’re so sleepy recently,” Arthur notices. “You slept a lot during first pregnancy.”</p><p>“And I was sick a lot but this time the baby spared me this.”</p><p>Thankfully. He only vomited for a month or so but he was doing it during any part of the day – morning, noon, sometimes even in the middle of the night. He was nauseous this time too but it was too weak to make him vomit. He wonders if it has something to do with how he wasn’t taking care of himself as much as the first time.</p><p>“I can’t believe this.” John isn’t even going to mock him for saying it so many times. He only listen his mate with a smile. “We’re having a second baby.”</p><p>“Hopefully not the last one.”</p><p>Arthur doesn’t say anything but there is a glint in his eyes and the loud purr resonates in his chest. They both know already they’ll try for the third child when it’s all over. Maybe they won’t even wait long after the birth, only what’s necessary. They’ll be safe then, nothing will be able to stop them from having a big family.</p><p>“We need to tell Dutch,” Arthur suggests after couple of minutes of just lying in each other’s embrace and purring together. John stops his own purr when he hears those words and looks panicked at Arthur.</p><p>“No,” he refuses right away. “We can’t tell him.”</p><p>“You’re pregnant, John, he can’t send you to work,” the alpha reminds him.</p><p>“If we tell him, he’ll ground me.”</p><p>“That’s the point.”</p><p>“I can’t sit in the camp when you’ll be robbing a train, you’ll need me,” John explains him gently, but Arthur already starts to worry.</p><p>“You put that baby through enough already,” Arthur hisses, clearly wanting to rise his voice to make a better point.</p><p>“He survived so far, he’ll survive a little more,” John assures him, not being so sure himself. It’s easy to lose a child at the beginning of the pregnancy and at the end it’s easy to make the birth happen too early and it’s rarely ends good. </p><p>He shouldn’t take any part in the gang’s robberies or work too hard, he should focus on gaining his weight back and resting to let their son finally catch a breath. But John can’t leave Arthur alone, he needs to help him as long as he can. The pregnancy isn’t that advanced yet, he can still help.</p><p>“You’re out of your mind,” Arthur says before kissing John soundly and with so much passion as if he is trying to convince him to change his mind with it. “I can’t let you do this. I can’t lose you or the child. I almost did.”</p><p>John understands his fear. If he could has a choice, he would sit on his ass without any complains, but he doesn’t. He won’t feel safe in the camp with the gang knowing about the pregnancy. Those weren’t the same people that took care of him when he was pregnant with Jack, he doesn’t trust almost everyone here.</p><p>“Dutch will be angry if he finds out,” he tries to explain this further to his mate while also calming him down with a soothing touch on his cheek. He is scared too, he was so close already to losing this child and now he’s going to risk again, but this time intentionally. “He already suspects we’re planning to betray him, if he finds out about the baby, he will kill us on the spot.”</p><p>“He won’t kill a pregnant omega.”</p><p>“You sure about that?” Arthur looks at him uncertain and doesn’t answer. “Because I’m not. We can’t risk it. He will have an eye on us all the time, and with me in the camp he could manipulate you. You would do anything he would ask you for if you’ll have to worry not only about me and Jack, but also about another baby. He will use it against us, I’ll be his hostage, even if he won’t do it openly.”</p><p>Nobody can know, only those gang members that can be trusted with this, like Sadie, Charles and Abigail. Dutch, Bill, Javier, Micah and his friends, especially those last three, they can’t know the truth. They’re too close with Dutch.</p><p>They have time, the bump shouldn’t get bigger until the train robbery, even when John will start eating more. They won’t stay here more than two weeks, Dutch is losing the ground under his feet, he would like to run as soon as possible. Nobody will notice the bump.</p><p>Arthur is still worried. “If you go too far something may happen to the baby.”</p><p>“I’ll be careful,” John promises. “If it survived when I wasn’t careful, it will survive now when I’ll be. I won’t be doing anything stupid but I need to act as if I can help the gang with everything.”</p><p>Arthur still isn’t convinced, he is growling quietly, fighting with his own instinct telling him to protect his omega at all cost, even by using force against John.</p><p>“Don’t do anything that’s too hard for you right now,” he pleads, taking John’s hand in his. “Don’t ask Dutch for any work, just lay low.”</p><p>“I promise I won’t be rushing into any danger.” John lifts Arthur hands to his lips and kiss his palm. “I will be doing only what I need. I won’t even help around the camp, if anyone ask, I’ll just tell them I’m still tired after my stay in the prison.”</p><p>“During the robbery…”</p><p>“I’ll stay by your side,” John assures with a smile. “We’ll be fine. We’ll take the money and run away.”</p><p>“I’ll have my eyes on you all the time,” Arthur warns him.</p><p>John snorts. “I didn’t expect anything else from you,” he says and then kisses Arthur tenderly, helping to calm his nerves. And his own as well when the kiss causes the alpha to purr soothingly. Arthur is calm again. For now. “I love you.”</p><p>“Love you too, darlin’” After he says that, Arthur looks at the bump. “And you too, princess.”</p><p>“It’ll be a boy,” John reminds him, but Arthur ignores his words.</p><p>“Don’t listen to your Pa, he’s an idiot, he doesn’t know what he’s talking about,” Arthur says directly to the bump.</p><p>John smiles amused. “You’re already turning him against me?”</p><p>“No. Her.”</p><p>Arthur could be so annoying sometimes and stubborn like a mule, but that’s one of the things John loves him for.</p><p>With eyes half-closed, John sighs while Arthur is focused on his belly. It’s nice to lay with his mate in their bed again and relax after such long stay in prison where the only company were his own thoughts and, during the last night, his unborn son.</p><p>Their comfortable moment is eventually interrupted by Jack’s arrival and Abigail chasing after him. The boy rushes into the tent and immediately jumps on the bed. John moves away from his way in the last moment and saves his little brother, but Jack missed his father so much he is very determined to get close to him.</p><p>“Ugh,” John groans when his son lands on his chest, almost hitting the bump with his knee, missing only by an inch. “Go lay on your daddy.”</p><p>Jack whines disappointed but still lets John move him to Arthur.</p><p>“I’m sorry, he missed his Pa,” Abigail explains. “I hope he didn’t disturb you.”</p><p>“It’s okay, Abigail, I missed him too. Thank you for sitting with him for a while.”</p><p>“You’re welcome.” Abigail smiles at both of them, slowly retreating from the tent. “Good to have you back, John.”</p><p>“It’s good to be back,” he admits and turn to his side to touch Jack. He strokes the boy’s hair, back and catch his hand in his. John wants to tell him he’s going to be a big brother, but he’s afraid Jack will accidently tell someone and they really need to keep it a secret as long as they can. “Hi, Jack.”</p><p>“Hi, Pa!” Jack says back enthusiastically, squirming so much he even hits Arthur in the stomach with his knee. The boy finally decides to slides from his daddy’s chest and lands between both of them, cuddling to John. “Can you not go to prison again?”</p><p>John laughs and hugs his son closer, touched by the boy’s innocent. He’s glad that living between outlaws didn’t take it away from him.</p><p>“I’m not going back there, I promise.” Jack cuddles to him even more, as if he’s still afraid John is not back for good or that he will disappear any second now. It must’ve been rough for him before Arthur returned from Guarma and Jack had one of his fathers with him again.</p><p>Life wasn’t easy for all three of them in general, someone or something was constantly separating them, John has enough of it, the constant fear of not knowing if his family is even alive. Now they’re okay, but for the last couple of days he was really afraid he won’t see Arthur or Jack ever again.</p><p>Thankfully, just like with Bronte, everything ended fine, but he’s not going to risk the third time. He will do anything to not be away from his family again, not in the same circumstances. They were forcefully separated for the last time.</p><p>“I’ll go with you next time,” Jack states seriously.</p><p>“You won’t have to, Pa is not going anywhere, I’ll make sure of that,” Arthur promises the boy but he looks at his omega while saying that. John isn’t the only one who just promised something to himself.</p><p>“Good.” Jack starts squirming again, forcing John to lay on his back. The boy tries to climb on him but Arthur wraps his arm around their son’s waist and holds him down without any effort, not even listening to the boy’s complains and whining.  </p><p>“I’m afraid you can’t lay with me like you always do,” John explains him, watching with amusement how Jack tries to escape, thinking he has any chance against Arthur. He’s wiggling and doing anything to crawl from under his daddy’s arm but Arthur doesn’t even move.</p><p>“Why?” Jack ask and purses his lips.</p><p>Exactly, why?</p><p>Before he can come up with a good excuse, Arthur does it faster.</p><p>“Pa got a little hurt in the prison.” Jack finally stops moving and with wide eyes looks at Arthur and then at John. “If you lay down on him, you can hurt him more.”</p><p>“I don’t want to hurt Pa!” he swears quickly and moves away till he bumps into Arthur’s chest. The alpha hugs him closer.</p><p>“You can still lay with me,” John calms down their son when he sees how scared he is right now. “Just don’t climb on me, okay?”</p><p>Jack doesn’t look convinced but after a gentle shove from Arthur, he gets back to John, who bring him even closer and hides him under his arm. The boy falls asleep right away, certainly tired with everything that happened recently. </p><p>John watches him till Arthur gets his attention. The alpha moves closer to not wake up Jack and gently hugs both of them, placing his palm on the bump again. John joins with his own palm shortly. The need to touch the bump is too strong to resist it.</p><p>They look into each other’s eyes and smile. With faces so close, they manages to kiss quickly but softly and even with such innocent kiss, they both shiver when their lips connects. Jack feels it too and murmurs something in his sleep before he’s deeply asleep.</p><p>“You should rest,” Arthur says to him when the short kiss ends. “I assume you didn’t have much time for that in prison.”</p><p>“I didn’t.” John yawns. He wasn’t sleepy just a moment ago but after Arthur mentioned it, he feels tired all of sudden. “I worked almost every day.”</p><p>“And somehow she’s still here.” Arthur grins happily when he looks at their joined hands resting on the bump.</p><p>“He,” John corrects him with tired voice, already closing his eyes. Arthur chuckles.</p><p>“Don’t argue with me, I’m the one who’s right.”</p><p>“We’ll see in five months.”</p><p>It’s getting harder to stay awake but he doesn’t want to sleep yet, he want’s to enjoy the presence of his mate and child. John opens his eyes again to make the moment last longer, but Arthur starts purring at the same time and John’s eyes gets heavy again, closing on their own.</p><p>“Sleep, John,” Arthur tells him. “I’ll keep the three of you safe.”</p><p>John responds to his alpha’s protectiveness with his own purr. His chest is warm after hearing the care in Arthur’s voice and John’s chest becomes even warmer when he realizes his mate said ‘three.’</p><p>“It sounds nice,” he mumbles. He’ll sleep soon, just few more seconds.</p><p>“What does?” Arthur asks, clearly amused by John’s refusal to sleep. If he could see the alpha right now, John is sure he would see him smiling. He wants to see it, but he can’t open his eyes anymore.  </p><p>“Three,” he repeats, not sure if Arthur even understands his sleepy mumbling. “But ‘four’ would sound even better.”</p><p>He doesn’t want it to be the last time.</p><p>John still isn’t asleep when he feels Arthur softly moving his fingers over the bump.</p><p>“As many as you want.”</p><p>“You better not regret this words later,” John jokes, finding enough strength in himself to smile.</p><p>Arthur chuckles quietly.</p><p>“Go to sleep,” he orders John and starts purring again.</p><p>“Okay,” John agrees and yawns. “Good night, sunshine.”</p><p>“Good night, John.”</p><p>In prison, despite being tired all the time, his sleep was often short and restless and it was so cold all the time. Now, in his tent, surrounded by his family, he feels calm and warm, both from the outside and on the inside. He can’t wait for them to feel it every day.</p><p>As a family of four or more.</p>
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